MINNA: No fewer than 30 people have been killed, while several others were abducted, following an attack by suspected bandits on a village market in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.
The attack occurred on Saturday at Kasuwan Daji market in Demo village, Kabe District. The assailants were said to have operated from the Kainji Lake National Park Forest.
Eyewitness accounts revealed that the armed men stormed the market, set it ablaze, looted food items and other goods, shot at villagers and abducted many residents who attempted to flee through routes leading to the forest.
Confirming the incident on Sunday, the Niger State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, Wasiu Abiodun, said a joint security team had visited the scene, while efforts were ongoing to rescue those abducted.
On 03/01/2026 at about 9pm, information received revealed that at about 4:30pm of the same date, suspected bandits from the National Park forest along Kabe District invaded Kasuwan Daji market, located at Demo village via Kabe, burnt the market, looted shops and carted away food items, Abiodun said.
He added that a follow-up report received at about 8am on Sunday confirmed that over 30 people lost their lives during the attack.
“Some persons were also kidnapped. Efforts are ongoing to rescue the kidnapped victims. Further developments will be communicated, the police spokesperson said.
The latest attack comes weeks after a similar incident on November 21, 2025, when bandits abducted over 300 pupils and students from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of the state.
The gunmen reportedly arrived on motorcycles in the early hours of the day and abducted 315 persons, including 303 students and 12 teachers.
While some pupils escaped shortly after, the Federal Government later confirmed the release of all remaining abductees.
